Gamble on Pryor better than gamble on 247th pick?

While Seahawks GM John Schneider has spoken a bit in other media about the team’s recent trade for Terrelle Pryor, today was the first chance local beat writers got to ask him about it.

And Schneider said one reason for the trade is simply that the potential payoff in Pryor is greater than what the team might get with the pick it gave away, a seventh-rounder that is the 247th overall.

“Just to be able to acquire a player of that caliber in the 7th round, what our 7th round looks like right now, we felt the value was definitely there and it was worth it,” Schneider said.

It’s not news that low-round picks are also low-percentage.

But given that this is a fresh and clean transaction that will be easy to track — Pryor’s future versus whoever it is the Raiders get with that pick (or if they trade it, what that team gets, etc.) — I thought it might be interesting to take a quick look at the history of the 247th pick.

And thankfully, ProFootballReference, through its draft finder function, makes that really easy.

As you can see, only one of the 65 players drafted at 247 has ever made it to the Pro Bowl — defensive back Reyna Thompson, who was drafted by Miami but made it to the Pro Bowl with the Giants in 1990.

And only 13 are listed as ever having been the primary starter at their position for a season, for a total of 36 seasons, led by the eight seasons of linebacker Gary Cobb of the Dallas Cowboys.

So no doubt, while it might seem the odds would be long that Pryor helps the Seahawks much anytime soon, history also shows the odds are long for anyone taken at No. 247, as well.

Granted, what also seemed a little head scratching about the Pryor trade is why Seattle needed another QB, especially if — as Schneider said plainly today — the plan for now is that he is solely a quarterback.

The importance of the QB spot, though, hardly needs to be stated. And Pryor is just 24 and a former run-pass college phenom. Who knows how he might develop in a more stable situation than Oakland’s, and one in which almost nothing is really expected, with Russell Wilson set as the starter?

Also remember that Seattle has gotten to this point under Schneider and Pete Carroll by being unafraid to make the unconventional move. History indicates, though, there probably wasn’t much to lose.